Second:—Do not run the trimmings through an Enterprise Grinder to cut them up before packing them, as it has a tendency to heat the meat.
Third:—Trimmings that are to be held for any great length of time must be fresh as possible; if they should be somewhat slimy, they should be washed thoroughly in cold common salt brine and allowed to drain until quite dry. Never mix or salt trimmings that become slimy, with fresh ones; always pack them separately.
Fourth:—It is absolutely necessary that the meat should be thoroughly chilled, and that the packing should be done in the cooler so that the temperature of the meat will not get above the temperature in which it is to be cured.
Fifth:—For each 100 lbs. of trimmings, take 1 lb. of Freeze-Em-Pickle, 1 lb. of best Granulated Sugar and 2 lbs. of Common Salt, and mix these thoroughly with the meat. Mixing thoroughly is very important; it should be carefully done so as to insure a uniform cure.
Sixth:—Have the tierces or barrels perfectly clean and sweet; then sprinkle a little salt on the bottom, and fill the barrel or tierce about one-quarter full of salted meat, and pound it down hard with a tamper. Do the same when the barrel is half full and continue in this manner until the barrel is filled. This tamping is done to expel the air between the pieces of meat, and it is an important factor to insure a uniform cure and color. If the trimmings are to be kept any length of time, it will be necessary that the tierces or barrels should be headed up, and they should always be filled with meat as much as possible. When trimmings are to be used as soon as cured, it is not necessary to head them up, simply put a top on them and weight them down, or cover them with a clean cloth and put a layer of salt about one inch thick, over the top of the cloth. This will keep out the air and will give good results. The trimmings will be cured in from two to three weeks, and are then in a perfect condition to be made into New England Style Pressed Hams, etc. They need not be soaked in water, nor need any salt be added as they are ready for instant use just as they are and will have a delicious sugar-cured ham flavor.
See paragraph on Temperature for Curing Meats on [page 46].
HOW TO MAKE NEW ENGLAND STYLE PRESSED HAMS
(Copyrighted by B. Heller & Co.; Reprint Forbidden.)
After the meat is cured, it should be stuffed in beef bungs, and should be smoked about three hours, but this depends upon the smoke house and whether wood or sawdust is used. It may be necessary to smoke the Pressed Ham still longer. Boil them in a temperature of 180 degrees Fahrenheit for 1½ hours, then reduce the temperature to 170 degrees Fahrenheit and remove them at the expiration of one hour. After they are boiled for 2½ hours, they should be laid out on a table in the cooler, and then boards should be placed on top of them weighted down with heavy stones, and should remain there over night before being removed.
The casings may be given an appetizing smoke color by momentary dipping in a solution of Zanzibar-Carbon Brand Casing Brown Mixture (see [page 117] for directions).